New Family of Leica ScanStation P40, P30, and P16 Raises Laser Scanning to New Level of Performance, Versatility, Efficiency and User Confidence

Leica Geosystems has announced the release of its 8th generation of versatile, high performance laser scanners, the Leica ScanStation P40, P30, and P16. Advances in LIDAR and imaging for these new, ultra-high-speed scanners let users take advantage of the productivity and safety benefits of laser scanning – or High-Definition Surveying (HDS™) – for even more types of sites, scenes and as-built projects. Three different models meet different user needs: the P40 and P30 add increasing, long range capabilities (to 270m) and advanced scanner controls for additional versatility while the ScanStation P16 is a short range, introductory model. 

With the popular Leica ScanStation C10 and ScanStation P20 scanners as a reference point, the new family of scanners integrate the best-in-class features of those two scanners into a single scanner and then expand on them in two important areas: (1) the LIDAR system itself, and (2) the scanner’s built-in digital imaging system.

Powerful, New LIDAR Engine “Under the Hood”

The new scanners feature the same form factor as the prior Leica ScanStation P20, but have “under the hood” a powerful new laser – totally eye-safe – that delivers big benefits. Each LIDAR packs high peak power into every pulse and emits more photons than prior models do. Combined with clever advances in signal processing and Wave Form Digitized data, the new LIDAR system automatically enables users to experience scene details sharper and crisper, avoiding most of the office processing that’s often needed to clean up scan data before using it. Slices through scans will now look more precise, enabling fast, accurate tracing for line work deliverables. With the new scanners, users will also capture challenging surfaces, such as certain dark or reflective ones, that they weren’t able to before. Overall, by capturing more, useful data from a single setup, users will need fewer setups and, thus, less field time; cleaner, crisper scan data also reduces office time.

Built-in Digital Imaging Supports Both HDR and Target Finding at Long Range

It’s often useful to take pictures of a scan scene with a scanner’s built-in camera; however, if part of a scene is bright while another is in shadow, pictures are much less useful. To overcome this problem, each new Leica P40, P30, and P16 scanner has HDR imaging capability built in. A scanner can automatically take pictures of a scene using different exposures; then, images are automatically processed to properly color the point cloud. That, in turn, enables faster office processing for creating deliverables and better looking marketing images.

HDR capability in a scanner is not unique; what is unique with the new scanners is their ability to use that same built-in, high-resolution camera to quickly find and accurately capture scan targets out to longer ranges. For both the Leica ScanStation P40 and P30, the maximum target range is specified at 75m; for a Leica ScanStation P16, that’s 40m (max range of the scanner).Like the LIDAR system improvement, long range targeting capability also reduces the number of setups needed to capture larger areas, such as for infrastructure surveys or crash/crime scenes, thus improving field productivity.

An Overall Scanning Solution

Leica Geosystems offer customers a complete scanning solution. With the latest Leica Cyclone software, the industry’s leading point cloud solution for processing laser scan data, users benefit from fast and easy scan registration and a variety of valuable features, resulting in a quicker creation of highly accurate and detailed results. Along with its hardware and software, Leica Geosystems offers customers worldwide support as well as training and technical service from the laser scanning industry’s largest, most experienced, and knowledgeable team. It is tailor-fit to suit customers’ needs and will keep cost of ownership down and workflows smooth.

Louise Brand, managing director at 4DMax Ltd, a world leading provider of scanning services to the film and TV industry, says "My company, 4DMax, have been using Leica Geosystems 3D laser scanners since being established in 2010. Whilst working on a feature film recently I had permission to scan the SS Great Britain as a test piece for the Leica ScanStation P40 scanner prior to its upcoming general release. Having scanned large historical ships in the past I knew this would be an excellent test subject due to its complex geometry and a shiny black hull. To add to that challenge I had torrential rain on the day of scanning. So much so that I fully expected that we would have large areas of the ship with little to no useable data.

I couldn't have been more wrong and the results I saw were astonishing. Not only did I get significantly more detail in the scans than I'd ever seen before but there was no rain cloud, no trailing data from mixed pixels and complete coverage on the highly polished black hull."